Introducing
Your new presentation assistant.
Refine, enhance, and tailor your content, source relevant images, and edit visuals quicker than ever before.
Trending searches
8
b
Y
The influence of classical music on jazz in the creation of free improvisations
2
X
C
g
m
1
p
Introduction
F
Which methods can be used for classical musicians to create and adapt Jazz improvisations into their practice?
Case in point: Rolf Kühn's Clarinet Connection
E
Clarinet and Jazz
- It begins in the city of New Orleans in the 1920s with the later influence of Benny Goodman
- In 1940, the clarinet began to eclipse the saxophone and much more was wirtten for the clarinet
- More complex harmonies appeared in the 1950s.
- Ten years later, the clarinet is involved in all sub-genres of jazz and lays a very important role
D
Rolf Kühn
- He was a composer, jazz clarinetist and saxophonist born in 1929 in Cologne, Germany
- Since the 1960s, his musical scope is both classical jazz, free jazz and jazz rock
- Kühn had a great interest in improvisation
- His incesant desire to deepen and broaden his expressive horizons inspires him to seek new musical adentures
- Swing enthusiast
The Clarinet Connection
- The work was composed in 2015 for 4 clarinets in B and bass clarinet (also string quartet and clarinet
- It has 3 movements
- It has a sound between jazz and modern classical music
- The piece was comissioned by Sabine Meyer for her clarinet ensemble, with Eddie Daniels
- Floating tonal centres and rhythm that is unpredictable
4.
Recapitulation + Coda
First movement
2.
Free improvisation
Theme is agitated, joyful, energetic
3.
Slow introduction with two improvisations
1.
4.
Theme of the introduction
Second movement
2.
Repetition of the 2 themes
Theme 1 + Theme 2 with improvisation
3.
Quiet introduction
1.
4.
Recapitulation + Theme of introduction
Third movement
2.
Improvisation
Theme: steady rhythm and feeling of an improvisation
3.
Introduction: agitated, joyful
1.
Elements to consider
1. Sound
2. Improvisation
3. Structure
4. Arrangement
5. Theory and harmony
6. Re-harmonisation
7. Melodic and rhythm sections
Cadences converted into improvisations
My method
My method
TITLE
1. Taking melodies from classical music
2. Ideas thar are known
3. The theme or musical idea should have approximately the same number of bars as the improvisation
4. It's better if harmonically are simple
5. Adapt them to the harmony given by the composer
Mozart's Concerto cadenza from the 1st movement
Mozart
1st mov
Characteristics
1. It is before the coda of the exposition
2. There is no time signature
3. There joint degrees
4. Typical classical tonality and harmony
How can it be transformed?
1. The 4/4 time signature is applied
2. The rhythm that is within the 4/4 is maintened
3. There joint degrees
4. In the harmony, the first bar would correspond to the F-9* chord and the second to the Db11** chord
This cadenza should be played in bar 3 of the first movement
Mozart
2nd
mov
Cadenza from Mozart's second movement clarinet concerto
Characteristics
1. It is before of the reprise
2. The rhythm is completely free
3. There is no time signature
4. Typical classical tonality and harmony
How can it be transformed?
1. A 4/4 time signature is adapted and basically a 2/4 is added in the second to last bar
2. The rhythm has to be adapted to this structure with time signatures changes
3. Joint degrees are maintened whenever possible, respecting the original
4. Regarding the harmony, two types of chords should be used: the A and G chords. And here is a chromatic progression of these chords
This cadenza should be played in bar 51 of the first movement
Cadenza from Copland's clarinet concerto
Copland
Characteristics
1. This cadenza serves to link the two movements of the concert
2. Very virtuos
3. It introduces element of the theme of the second movement
4. It is not completely ad libitum, but quite free
5. It already has a jazz style
How can it be transformed?
1. It is necessary to keep the same time signature all the time without any change
2. Although the writing is basically eighnt notes, it has to be given a swing style
3. Adapt the harmony of the cadence to that of the composer
4. Try to keep the orignal structure
This cadenza should be played from bar 56 to bar 89 of the first movement
Weber
Cadenza from Carl Maria von Weber's clarinet concerto of the first movement
Characteristics
1. This cadenza is the one that the clarinet player Baermann wrote
2. It is very virtuosic
3. The candenza is written in a 3/4 time signature
4. The rhythm is not free and must be played strictly in tempo
5. The harmony alternates the I and V degrees
How can it be transformed?
1. The time signature should be change from 3/4 to 4/4
2. The sixteenth notes become eight notes
3. The harmony is still an alternation between the chords I and V, but it has to be transposed to the key of the piece
4. The rhythm be fixed, not free and with swing style
5. The original cadence is respected as much as possible
This cadenza should be played from bar 97 to 120 of the third movement
Cadenza Copland's clarinet concerto
Copland
(2)
Characteristics
1. This is the first part of the cadence
2. It is also very virtuosic
3. It explores the whole register of the clarinet in a short time
How can it be transformed?
1. Keeping the same time signatura without changes
2. Playing with swing style
3. Adapt the harmony of the cadence to that of the composer
4. Keeping the original structure
This cadenza should be played from bar 165 to 172 of the third movement
B
Conclusions
1. As a classical musician you can also play jazz and create improvisations
2. It is not necessary to have extensive knowledge of jazz. A basic knowledge of jazz is enough
3. The idea to make it work is to take themes from the classical repertoire that you know well and adapt them
4. This can be adapted to jazz and any other musical style
5. For me, on a personal level, it gave me the opportunity to get much more into the world of jazz because it overcame the barrier of improvisation